Hydraulic valve operating mechanism



Feb. 7, i950 c. MOREY HYDRAULIC VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 4,1945 Patented Feb. 7, 1950 HYDRAULIC VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM CarlMorey, Hamilton, Ohio, assigner to Economy Pumps, Inc., Hamilton, Ohio,a corporation of Illinois Application September 4, 1945, Serial No..614,273

This invention relates to a hydraulic valve operating mechanism that isdesigned for opening and closing gate valves over manholes or the like,but adapted for use for controlling various other valves of like nature.

According to this invention, the valve is rigidly attached to a screwshaft which is adapted to be elevated or lowered through its threadedrelation with a rotary member driven by a gear operated by a hydraulicmotor having a source of oil which also supplies lubricant for certainoperating parts. The rotary member has a lost motion connection with adriving member in order to allow the starting motor to acquiresufficient speed and also to provide for an impact between the rotarymember and the driving member.

Other novel features of the invention will be pointed out and becomeapparent as the description proceeds.

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of partshereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred form of thisinvention, and in which similar reference numerals refer to similarfeatures in the different Views:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional and part elevational view of a valveoperating apparatus involving this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional and elevational view of aslightmodication of the invention; and

I Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic system for operatingthe apparatus.

In referring now to the drawing, there isshown a valveoperatingmechanism comprising a sectional housing 4 consisting of alower oil well section 4a. and an upper section 4b. The housing section4a has an annular interior upwardly extending bearing hub 5. Within thebearing hub, there extends the sleeve hub 6 of a gear 1. The valveoperating screw shaft 8 extends loosely through the sleeve 6. Ballbearings 9 are mounted between the sleeve 6 and hub 5 to provide ananti-friction bearing for the gear 1.

-The gear I has an upwardly projecting lug I which is adapted forengaging a-laterally extending lug I I on the rotary screw member I2which is in threaded relation with the shaft 8; a ball bearing I3 beingprovided between the rotary screw member I2 and a Z ring I4 secured tothe casing section 4b by a laminated spring ring I5 which is positionedagainst the web of the ring. A laminated spring ring Ia between theadja- 4 Claims. (Cl. 'I4-424.8)

cent ends of the gear 1 and rotary member I2 cooperates with spring I5to form yielding end thrusts for rotary member I2.

The gear 'I which is of peculiar construction with its teeth on adownwardly extending skirt la is driven by a gear I6 secured upon theshaft I'I of a hydraulic lmotor I8 which may be of the type disclosed inmy co-pending application Ser. No. 583,434, filed March 19, 1945, nowforfeited. Thishydraulic motor is adapted to be driven through oilsupplied by a pump I9 which may be a gear pump or a pump of any suitableconstruction and which is set in a suitable well 20 formed in thesection 4b of the casing. The pump I 9 is adapted to be driven by asuitable electric reversing motor 2I through a suitable connectiontherewith. The operationof these instrumentalities will cause rotationof the rotary member I2 for raising and lowering the screw shaft 8 whichis shown as attached at its lower end to a gate valve 22 or the like.

In Fig. 2, the construction is substantially the same as in Fig. 1 withthe exception that the upper housing section 4c is modified to allow agear 23 to be secured to the upper end of the rotary member I2 .forengagement with a hand operated pinion 24 secured upon a shaft 25journalled in a suitable bearing 26 inserted in a suitable bearingaperture 21 in the wall of the casing. Thus through the operation ofshaft 25 through a suitable key Wrench or the like, the screw shaft 8can be raised or lowered to open or close the valve.

In Fig. 3, there is diagrammatically shown a hydraulic operating systemfor controlling the valve including the reversing electric motor 2|suitably connected to a source of energy 28 through a reversing switch29. The motor 2l is adapted to drive the gear pump I9, the two sides ofwhich are connected by. pipes 30 and 3I with an oil tank 32 whichcorresponds to the oil chamber in the housing 4. Each pipe is connectedto a relief valve 33. The relief valves discharge through pipes 34 intothe oil tank 32. The pipe 30 is connected by a pipe 35 with one side ofthe hydraulic motor I8 while the pipe 3I is connected by a pipe 36 withthe other side of the motor.y The motor drives the shaft I1 and pinionI6 which in turn drives the gear 'I having the lug I IJ thereon forengaging the lug II on rotary member I2. When the gear 1 is rotated inone direction, it will engage one side of the lug I I and when it isdriven in the opposite direction, it will engage the other side of thelug. Thus the gear will have a lost motion of 360 degrees minus thewidth of the lug Il. When reversing its direction, this Will allow themotor 2l to gather speed and cause the lugs l0 and Il to engage with animpact that will start rotary member I2 very quickly and jar the valvefrom its seat in the event that it tends to stick.

It will benotedthat when theehysdraulic motor is being fed-.through pipe35, the oil .or fluid will. escape through pipe 3B to the inlet pipe 3|and complete a circulation of the iluid and when` the electric motor andpump are reversed,.,the oil pipe 36 and escape through pipe 3'5 to pipe30' and complete circulation ofithev'uid.,

The section 4a, of the housingiforms-an; oiltank coextensive with thehousing. The oil will lubricate the ball bearings S and the. gears` 6.and. 'l and other parts. The housing 4 is so designed as to contain andsupport all of the operative parts and is preferably supported on a base3'?! atV` the upper: endof a' column' rising from the; valveA casing22a; Thehousing and operating parts hence constitute-a seli containedunit directly'supported upon the valve. casings A tube 39T may extendvfrom the top of. the housing to house the screw shaft when the same iselevated.

In operation, the instrumentalities may be op- @rated clockwise orcounterclockwise through the reversing motor 2|` Such operation willcause rotation of rotary member l2 which confined; againstaxialmovementz'on the screw shaft with, the result that such screw shaftmay be raised or'lowered depending upon the direction oi rotation. Whenthe screw shaft is being lowered tov close: the valve, the gear lug,lllVv will bein engagement with one sideof the lug-V Il. Now to. open.the valve, the direction of rotation of the operating members must bechanged; that means; that lug l0 will travel in the oppositeV directionaway from the lug l l until it. engages theoppof-A site side thereof.Thus there willA bev a lost motion somewhat lessy than.360 degrees.During this lost motion travel. of. lug |01, the motor 2| will haveltime. to attain suiicient speed before'. the load is picked up, and thelug il] will strike the lug- Ilwith an, impact for starting rotation; ofthe rotary member against any holding effect. onI the screw shaft.

Itwill be appreciated that the operating parts enclosed inr a compacthousing. supported.. upon the valve casing produces a very simplestructure requiring limited space and little effort' in assembly. At thesame time, a reliable and eicient operation is always assuredv asalready pointed out.

Il-am aware that many'u changes maybe made and various details ofconstruction may be varied. without departing from the principles ofthis invention, so I do not proposev limiting the patent, grantedthereon otherwise than necessitated by the appended claims.

Iclaim as my invention:

l. In an apparatus. of the class.Y described, a threaded valve stern', ahousingsurrounding said stem and 'having a laterally oiset portion, saidhousing having aibase with an upwardly extend#L ingl bearing; collarsurrounding'saidstems a gear loosely mounted upon;V saidstern.v andlhaving et hub portion extending within said bearing collar, antifrictionbearings between said bearing collar and hub, said gear having adepending skirt portion with teeth surrounding said bearing collar, athreaded member on said stem above said gear, said member :and gearhaving coacting impactA producing lugs, means for anchoring said member.against axial movement, the-onset portion of said housing' having afluid chamber, a hydraulic motor mounted in said chamber and loperatively connected to said gear, the lower poror fluid will enter thehydraulic motor through:

tion: of said housing constituting an oil reservoir extending from saidmotor to said antifriction bearing and means for supplying duid to saidmotor;

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a threaded. valve. stem.ahousing surrounding said stern and having a laterally offset portion,said housing' having a bearing spaced from said stem, a gear having ahub journalled between said bearing, and stem and a1 toothed skirtisurroundinge said; bl-:earingJ a4v member threaded; to said stem abovesaid. gear,v said member and gear: haw ing: coacting lugs; the,` o'setportion of said housing having a uid member,;a. hydraulicmotor mounted'in said chamber, a gear onsaid motor iii-:meshing relation withthe-skirt gear, the offset portion of said housing having a pump'chamber abovesaid motor, aA pumpin said pump. cham bei; for: supplyingfluid torsaid motor'and means for. operating said pumpV upon theoffset'portion.v of said'V housing.

3i In an apparatusof. the. class described, a; threaded valvestem-,- ahousing surrounding saidY stem and having a laterally onset portion,said housing having .a bearing' at itslower end', a geary having a hubjournalled against said. bearing, a memberl threaded. upon said sternabove said gear, said gear and member having coasting lugs, an hydraulicmotor ini thefoffsetY portion: of' the housing andoperativelyconnectedwith said gear, said. housing having a pump chamber above sai'd motor, a-pump mounted in said chamber for sup plying iuidv to saidmotor, thelowerr portion of said housing forming an oil reservoir and means foroperating said pump;

4. A housing adapted for attachment` to a valvel stem-` comprising a:lower portion having an upwardly extending; bearing collar from its baseportion, a rotary gear having a depending hub journalledwithin said"bearing' and a depending skirt with teeth surrounding said bearing, aninternally threaded tubular member above said' gear, means: between saidgearv and the upper part of said housingk fornconning said memberagainstaxial. movement, said housing having a laterally offset' portion. andmeans in said offsetportion. forr operating saidgear.

CARL MOREY;

REFERENCES CITED Thel following, references' are of record in the..

lle--ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES-PATENTS NumberV Name Date 986,780 Sundh Mar. 14, 19112,0283696 Beckwith Jan. 21, 1936

